Part 28 (1/2)
A moment later the phone rang. ”Todd Black on line one for you,” Elena alerted her.
”Okay, you've had your fun,” he said, without giving Cecily time to say h.e.l.lo.
Luke had left her feeling warm and happy. Just talking to Todd made her feel like she'd swallowed a lit sparkler. ”Someone entered you in our contest,” she said, dousing the sparkler with the firm reminder that Todd Black was a cynical turkey. ”Nice picture, by the way. It makes you look like a real ski pro.”
”I am.”
”Great choice, then.”
”I didn't send it,” he growled.
”Who did, then?” she asked. ”One of your girlfriends?”
”How the h.e.l.l should I know? It was up on my Facebook page. Anybody could've printed it. Probably my bartender's idea of a sick joke.”
So her contest was a sick joke. ”Some joke. He paid the twenty-five-dollar entry fee.”
”Keep the money, but un-enter me. I'm not parading around in my boxers in front of a bunch of h.o.r.n.y women.”
”Fine,” she said. ”No one wants to see you in your boxers, anyway.” She flashed on an image of Todd Black in a pair of boxers decorated with valentine hearts. He wasn't a walking wall like Luke but he was all male and she could envision those rock-hard abs and beautifully sculpted pecs with maybe a smattering of dark hair. There were no sparklers in her chest now. Oh, no. Those had been replaced with bottle rockets.
”I can think of a few women,” he said. ”I do give private shows,” he added silkily.
Another bottle rocket went off. ”Thanks for sharing. If I meet any brainless bimbos I'll send them your way.”
”Ha, ha,” he said, and hung up.
”Oh, very original,” she said to the dial tone. She hung up a little more forcefully than necessary and realized Elena was over at her desk wearing a know-it-all expression. ”What?” Cecily demanded.
”Nada,” Elena said airily.
”Nada is right,” Cecily muttered. Todd Black was a big nada.
Was it hot in here?
Chapter Twenty-One.
Sometimes the more preposterous the idea, the greater the success.
-Muriel Sterling, Mixing Business with Pleasure: How to Successfully Balance Business and Love Chocolate Festival, Schedule of Events FRIDAY EVENING:.
5:007:30 p.m.: Chocolate Walk, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company Partic.i.p.ants can enjoy special chocolate drinks and desserts, along with a treat from Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company.
Partic.i.p.ating restaurants: Zelda's, Schw.a.n.gau, Der Spaniard, Italian Alps Pizza 8:00 p.m.: Festival Hall, Ceremony to crown Mr. Dreamy, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company SAt.u.r.dAY.
8:00 a.m.: Lost Bride Trail guided hike, sponsored by the Alpiners Hiking Club Get out in the great outdoors and hear the legend of the lost bride.
9:00 a.m.11:00 a.m.: Lovers' Breakfast, served at the Breakfast Haus 10:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: Street Fair Enjoy the food and craft booths and meet our local artisans. And be sure to stop by the Sweet Dreams booth to purchase your ”chocolate survival kit” and meet Mr. Dreamy, who will be there from 10:00 a.m. until noon.
11:00 a.m.: The Romance of Flowers, at Lupine Floral Learn the language of flowers, get tips on how to make your floral arrangement last and put your name in a draw to win a lupine lovers' bouquet.
1:00 p.m.: Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company Tour Come see how we make our fabulous chocolates and get your picture taken with Mr. Dreamy.
2:00 p.m.: Chocolate High Tea with Mr. Dreamy at Icicle Creek Lodge, sponsored by the Gingerbread Haus and Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company. For reservations, call Icicle Creek Lodge 5:00 p.m.: Wine and Chocolate Tasting at D'Vine Wines Sample dessert wines made by local wineries along with locally made Sweet Dreams Chocolates.
6:30 p.m.: Sweet Dreams dinner at Zelda's, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company and Zelda's restaurant Tickets are available at Zelda's and must be purchased in advance. Seating is limited so make your reservations early!
8:00 p.m.: Sweet Dreams Masked Ball at Festival Hall, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company Tickets may be purchased at the Sweet Dreams Gift Shop or at the door.
SUNDAY.
10:00 a.m.2:00 p.m.: Town Treasure Hunt Visit our local merchants and find bargains on all kinds of treasures. Several stores are the location for valuable prize packages, which will be awarded randomly to shoppers throughout the day.
Prizes: Dinner for two at Ludwig's. One night free lodging at the Icicle Creek Lodge. A bottle of Riesling from D'Vine Wines. One free trip down the Wenatchee River with Adventure Outfitters. A coupon for one free small gingerbread house s.h.i.+pped anywhere within the continental U.S. from Gingerbread Haus. A snow globe from Kringle Mart (valued at fifty dollars). A box of chocolates from Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company. One hat, courtesy of the Mad Hatter Novelty Hat Company. A one-hundred-dollar gift card for Sleeping Lady Salon and Spa. A twenty-five-dollar gift certificate for Mountain Escape Bookstore.
We Hope You'll Enjoy our First Annual Chocolate Festival!
Preparations were going forward at warp speed now.
The decorating committee, headed up by Heinrich and Kevin, had outdone itself, hanging baskets overflowing with artificial pink and white flowers from storefront roof overhangs and festooning trees with strings of red and pink heart-shaped lights. Restaurants were offering lovers' dinners and the town chefs had knocked themselves out creating recipes featuring Sweet Dreams chocolates. With the exception of Johnson's Drugs, every shop in town was partic.i.p.ating in a treasure hunt, which would lead visitors from store to store in search of bargains and prizes. Heinrich and Kevin had been creating special chocolate-lovers' floral arrangements over at Lupine Floral, incorporating Sweet Dreams candy, and were going all out on flowers for the chocolate ball, while Ed York was offering a wine-and-chocolate tasting on Sat.u.r.day evening before the chocolate dinner at Zelda's, which was sold out.
Not to be outdone, the social and service clubs had gotten into the act. The Alpiners Hiking Club was conducting guided hikes up Lost Bride Trail. The Rotary Club was sponsoring the Lovers' Breakfast at the Breakfast Haus, with proceeds to go to the food bank. The town churches were providing free taxi service for any celebrants who drank a little too much wine with their chocolate, and every artist, club and youth group within a ten-mile radius was going to be manning a booth of some kind, giving visitors a chance to buy everything from chainsaw carvings to elephant ears. Samantha was especially excited about the booth Bavarian Brews was running. All their hot drinks would come topped with whipped cream and a Sweet Dreams chocolate.
Excitement was growing all over town, much of it focused on the Mr. Dreamy contest.
”I'm sure my Brandon is going to win,” Olivia predicted when Samantha stopped by to see how preparations were going for the chocolate tea.
”Are you coming to cheer him on?” Samantha asked, not making any promises. If she'd had her way, Brandon wouldn't have been allowed to compete. Talk about waving temptation right under Bailey's nose.
”Oh, I'll be there,” Olivia said. ”All the LAMs are going. To support your mother,” Olivia added. Samantha couldn't help grinning, and Olivia's pudgy cheeks turned pink. ”Well, and to admire all the good-looking men.”
”Olivia, you are a cougar,” Samantha teased, making the color in the older woman's cheeks deepen to magenta.
”There are some things a woman never loses an appreciation for, and one of them is chocolate. I'm sure you can guess the other,” Olivia said.
”I think I can,” Samantha said. And she had to admit that her sisters had been on to something. Tacky as this whole Mr. Dreamy contest seemed, it was a hit, and a moneymaker. And the more moneymakers they had, the better.
”Everyone's talking about the pageant, you know. Well, the whole festival, actually,” Olivia said. ”It's all going to be so much fun. Everyone's going to be there.”
Spending money. Samantha smiled at the thought of being able to walk into the bank on Monday with a big, fat check. Take that, Blake Preston.
”Brown wants to come up and check out the chocolate festival,” Darren said to Blake. ”I told him you'd be happy to show him around, take him out to lunch.”
Happy? In what parallel universe? ”Sorry,” Blake said shortly. ”I'm afraid I can't help you. I won't be around on Sat.u.r.day.” He'd had plans to hang out at the street fair, buy a ton of stuff at the Sweet Dreams booth, but not now.